Lateral stabilization for torpedoes



g- 1930. J. H. HAMMOND, [JR 1,772,348

LATERAL STABILIZATION FOR TORPEDOES Filed Dec. 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 426M nluzz N A TTORNEY $16M L7INVaT0R. If

1930. J. H. HAMMOND; JR 1,772,348

LATERAL STABILIZATION FOR TORPEDOES Fi".ed Dec. 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT o-FFrcE LATERAL STABILIZATION FOR 'TORPEDOES Application filed December 18, 19;28. Serial No. 326,741.

The invention relates in general to devices for stabilizing vehicles when making sharp turns, and more particularly, to stabilizmg devices 'of this kind for torpedoes.

6 If it is attempted to steer a fast moving torpedo around a sharp turn, thereis danger of keeling over due to the difference in pos1- tions and controlled by the tendency of the torpedo to keel over when making a sharp turn. The operation of these rudders impresses a turning moment on the torpedo pposite to that due to ordinary structural causes, and'thus allows the torpedo to make as sharp a turn as its length allows without keeling over to any serious extent.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are be-,

lieved to be characteristic of this invention appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the after body of a torpedo in which the invention is more or less diagrammatically illustrated;

Fig.2 is a section on the line 2-2 showing the segment gears for gontrolling the stabilizing rudders; 60 Fig. 3 is a section on the hue 3-3 showing will be particularly pointed out in the claim the cont-act arrangement responsive to keeling over, of the torpedo; and

Fig. 4 is a detail of the follow-up system.

In the following description and in the claim parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, a practical commercial embodiment of the invention is shown, but as such illustration is primarily for purposes of disclosure, it will be understood that the structure may be modified in Various respects without departure from the broad spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Referring now to the drawing, the torpedo comprises the usual shell 1 having mounted therein conventional driving means indicated by 5 such as an air turbine and the usual pair'of propellers'2 and 3 rotating in opposite directions and driven by the driving means 5 through the concentric shafts 4.

At the stern of the torpedo are mounted upper and lower vertical fins 6 and 7 in which are journalled upper and lower turning rudders 13 mounted on rudder posts 14. The mounting of these rudders is in accordance with the usual construction of torpedoes and these rudders are controlled by a link 15 extending to the air cylinder 16. The air cylinder 16 has a valve mechanism 17 and is supplied with compressed air and the valve 17 is controlled by a lever 18 which in turn is controlled b mechanism indicated diagrammatically y 19.

The-mechanism 19 is for steering the torpedo in azimuth and its construction forms no part of the present invention. The steering mechanism may be controlled "by radio or by control devices which may be set before the torpedo is fired to cause the torpedo to follow a predetermined path. Various means for controlling the steering of the torpedo are'set forth at length in the prior application above referred to.

For stabilizing the torpedo, the after fins 6 10 and 7 are provided with a pair of Vertical stabilizing rudders 56 and 57 mounted on rudder posts 8 and 9 passing through the skin of the torpedo. Segment gear 22 is attached to the upper rudder post 8 and a segment gear 62 is attached to the lower rudder post 9, these segments being connected by segment gpar 23 suitably journalled in a support 59.

nother support 24 is provided to aid in journalling the upper and lower rudder posts. The upper rudder post has alever 25 secured thereto to which is pivoted a link 26. It will be seen that operation of the link 26 willcause the stabilizing rudders 56 and 57 to rotate in o posite directions.

In or er to control automatically the operation of the stabilizing rudders a gyroscopic unit is provided within the torpedo body made up of a gyroscope 36 mounted in a gimbal ring 37 which in turn is journalled on a gimbal ring 38, the gimb-al ring 38 being pivoted to supports 39 by pivots 63 and 64. Pivoted to the pivot 63 is a lever 42 having at its upper end a pair of contact segments 43 and 44 separated by insulation 55 (see Fig. 3). Fixedly secured to the gimbal ring 38 is a contact arm 41 having a roller 58 at the end thereof adapted to make electrical contact with segments 43 and 44 on relative movement.

For supplying the force to move the stabilizing rudders an air cylinder 29 is provided having a piston 28 mounted on a piston rod 27 to which the link 26 is pivoted. The cylinder is provided with valves 31 and 32 for controlling compressed air supplied through pipe 35. The valves 31 and'32 are controlled by solenoids 33 and 34 respectively. These solenoids are in electric circuit with a battery 48 and with the contact segments 43 and 44 through wires 45, 46, 47 and 49, the parts being connected as shown. The connection is such that when contact is made between arm 41 and segment 43, solenoid 33 is operated, and when contact is made between arm 41 and segment 44, solenoid 34 is operated In other words, when the torpedo keels over, the stabilizing rudders are actuated to correct the condition.

A follow-up or helm limiting system is provided, comprising a bell crank lever 52 pivoted to a support 53 and connected by link 51 to the piston rod 27. The other end of the bell crank lever 52 is connected by link 54 to the lever 42. It will be seen that operation of the piston 28 always tends to move the lever 41 to place the insulation 55 under the contact arm 41, thus stopping movement of the piston.

When the torpedo is running straight, the contact arm 41 will be on the insulation 55 between segments 43 and 44 and neither solenoid 33 nor 34 will be energized so that both valves 31 and 32 will be exhausting to atmosphere. The piston 28 and the stabilizing rudders 56 and 57 will occupy a central posltion.

When the torpedo makes a sharp turn, however, there is a tendency for the torpedo to keel due to the moment caused by the center of gravity of the torpedo being under the center of buoyancy. Looking forward along the longitudinal axis of the torpedo, when the torpedo is turning to the right, it will tend to roll in a clockwise direction.

Thestabilizing unit 36 will remain horizontal and therefore the arm 41 will remain in. a vertical position with respect to the surface of the water. As the torpedo is keeling in a counter-clockwise direction, looking aft, as in Fig. 3, the segment 44 will engage the arm 41 thereby energizing the solenoid 33 and causing the valve'31 to admit air to the left end of cylinder 29 thus moving the piston 28 to the right. This, by means of the link 26 and arm 25 will turn the upper rudder 56 to the left (Fig. 2) and by means of the upper segment 22, arm 23 and lower segment 62 will turn the lower rudder 57 to the right. This will cause a c0unter-clockwise rotative force on the torpedo, as viewed along the longitudinal axis looking forward, which will continue until the torpedo is returned to its upright position.

When this occurs the contact arm will again be on the insulation 55 thus de-energizing the solenoid 33. This will'allow the cylinder 29 to exhaust, the force of the water on the stabilizing rudders 56 and 57 bringing the piston 28 back to central position.

In order to make the operation of the stabilizing rudders proportional to the keelover of the t0rpedo,,the helm limiting sys tern is provided. As soon as the piston 28 moves to shift the rudders in response to a keel-over of the torpedo, the follow-up contacts are moved to bring the insulation opposite the arm 41 unless the torpedo keels over an additional amount when the contact 43 or 44 will touch the arm 41 and cause the piston to be moved-an additional amount to provide an additional correction for the increased keel-over of the torpedo.-

Thus a stabilizing system has been provided for a torpedo which will materially decrease the allowable safe radius of turning. The stabilizing means is responsive to a specially provided gyroscope which maintains its horizontal position throughout the course of the torpedo. Upon any variation of the vertical axis of the torpedo with respect to the gyroscope themechanism will begin to fun ction to correct this variation. The system "1s simple in operation and dependable in use.

While certain novel features of the invent1on have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details ring, a contact of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art with- .out departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a' torpedo, a torpedo-body, a pair of supports, a horizontal gimbal ring pivoted to said supports about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the torpedo body, a vertical gimbal ring pivoted to said horizontal ring on an axis perpendicularly to said first axis,

lever pivoted about said first axis and having spaced contact segments separated by insulation, a contact arm secured to said horizontal ring adapted to contact said segments, an air cylinder having valves at the ends, a piston normally midway in said cylinder, a solenoid controlling each valve, a separate electric circuit connecting each valve and its corresponding segment, a bell cranklever pivoted to said body, a link connecting said bell crank lever and piston rod, a link connecting said bell crank lever and contact lever, and means operated by piston for controlling said torpedo.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my han d JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR.

a gyroscope secured to said verticalv 

